


sympathy for a monster

by Lewdsuke



Series: to lure a jedi or to love a sith [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Abduction, Banter, Bondage, Canon Divergence, Darth Maul Needs a Hug, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Humiliation, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:49:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lewdsuke/pseuds/Lewdsuke
Summary: After facing the death of Satine, Obi-Wan feels an immense disturbance in the Force -- a evil far more powerful than Maul has ever been. Perhaps against better judgment, Obi-Wan searches for the evil through the destruction of Mandalore, only to find Maul, writhing and moaning in pain, his dead brother at his side.Maybe he should have run while he had the chance, and he still isn't quite sure why he didn't, as now Maul keeps him bound close, determined to humiliate and break him. Obi-Wan never thought Maul to be anything but a monster, but being chained to his side allows him to learn more than he ever expected.(on hiatus)
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Darth Maul
Series: to lure a jedi or to love a sith [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977604
Comments: 23
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work happens prior to my fic "I've been bad" and refers to it some, but it can be read as a standalone fic. If you want to read it first though, its here: [I've been bad](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095224)
> 
> if you don't, the short summary of Obi-Wan and Maul's past is that when Obi-Wan was a Padawan, Maul seduced him and Obi-Wan didn't know he was a sith. When he did find out, Maul still had his way with Obi-Wan, who guiltily enjoyed being used despite knowing Maul was a sith.

_I have loved you always._

_I always will._

Obi-Wan shut his eyes tight, tears threatening to fall as Satine’s words played in his mind, over and over and over. It was as if his world had gone dark in those moments, holding her in his arms as the light left her eyes. She had asked for his help, and he had let her die.

For the second time in his life, Maul had taken the life of someone he loved.

It took all of his strength just to calm his emotions and reach out to the Force. His body was still feeling the shock from the explosion of his ship, perhaps he had gotten a concussion. Whatever it was, it didn’t stop the intense surge of darkness that he felt. It was a disturbance he had never felt in the Force, yet it was reminiscent of his fight with Maul on Naboo –– the first time he had fought a Sith lord.

But, it would have been easy to recognize Maul. This was something else, something… stronger.

Obi-Wan jumped to his feet, eyes darting back and forth outside his cell. The guards were sparse, if any at all, but that was not surprising. The quakes and rumbles of explosions outside the building were enough to tell him that the fight over Mandalore was ongoing. He wasted no time, focusing his energy into the glass of the cell until it shattered. Not his cleanest escape, but the longer he spent in that prison, the more his fear enveloped him and tore at his sanity.

The armor Obi-Wan wore only made him ache, the red and black designs bringing an ocean of horrible memories, both old and new. He desperately craved a change in clothes, but there were more pressing matters to attend to now. First, he needed to find Maul and discover the source of the disturbance he felt. Tentatively, he reached out into the Force again, searching, but the darkness was different this time. He sensed pain, immense pain, and an agonized howl. So much turmoil and fear that it made Obi-Wan feel weak in the knees.

With one hand at his temple, the Jedi did his best to dismiss the feelings, following them rather than listening to them. He sprinted away from his cell in search of the distress. He wasn’t yet sure what he meant to find and what he planned to do, but he knew it was imperative that he find it.

Once he’d escaped, he realized that he felt the darkness fading, the cries of pain dulling to quiet whimpers. The battle around him waged on, but seemed to be dying down. Even so, he couldn’t tell which side was winning. When he reached the throne room, he gasped. There was clear evidence of a lightsaber duel, scorched lines scarring the floor, the windows behind the throne open and shattered. Satine’s body was gone, but Obi-Wan did not dare imagine how they had disposed of her.

Dashing to the broken window, he realized that he could not see over the shards and look down, which meant he’d have to investigate more directly. Obi-Wan leapt out the window, landing on the terrace below. The fight had definitely traveled down here, but no one was found. That was when he noticed the faint green smoke rising into the sky. Hesitantly, he walked to the edge of the terrace, peaking over the side. There, he saw it. Maul’s brother Savage, was dead, green smoke coating his body. And beside him… Maul was writhing on the ground. Obi-Wan knew immediately that he had been the source of the cries and whimpers he’d sensed.

Obi-Wan took another daring leap off of the terrace, landing as quietly as he could in his ill-fitted armor. Maul didn’t hear him, though. He kept writhing, squirming on the ground and whispering to himself. The Jedi crept forward, fearing what may happen if Maul caught Obi-Wan looking at him in this vulnerable state.

His reaction was not what Obi-Wan had expected by any means. Maul stared at him, his eyes no longer twisted into a glare. He didn’t see Obi-Wan, he only saw an enemy. In a panic, the Sith held up his hand in defeat, crawling away and towards his dead brother. He was… afraid. No one could have missed the violent shaking of Maul’s body or the way he twitched every now and then. Obi-Wan saw faint blue sparks running through his mechanical legs and he realized with dread that a Sith must have done this to him. No Jedi would have used lightning like that. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or disappointed that he missed the Sith Lord the Jedi were after.

“Maul,” Obi-Wan spoke carefully, hating the part of himself that felt pity for the Zabrak. But in this state, he truly did look pitiful.

Maul gasped, shaking his hand as if to shoo Obi-Wan away. His eyes were floating, unable to focus on neither his brother nor the Jedi. Instead, his head swayed back and forth and his words were unintelligible, coming out in hoarse wheezes rather than his usual, venomous whispers, “Please, please,” he wailed.

Obi-Wan gulped, inching forward ever so slightly, “Maul… who did this?” he questioned, only feeling scarcely guilty for trying to take advantage of the Sith’s weakened state to get information. 

The question left Maul in even more of a panic than before as he grasped his head in his hands, shaking his head frantically, “No, no, no, NO! Master, why didn’t he kill me? Kill… kill… he-he killed Savage. My brother!” the man howled, gaze now fixed on the sightless eyes of his brother, “I am… sorry, brother,” he whispered with a sincerity that Obi-Wan did not think Maul could even possess.

Unsure of how to proceed, Obi-Wan crouched down, keeping a safe distance from the grieving Zabrak, “Who is your master?”

“My master,” Maul snarled, “My master is… a liar. He abandoned me and now… now he plans to make me suffer. I will make him pay, I will make him pay, I will--”

Maul continued muttering nonsense, groaning, anguished as he held his head, eyes darting everywhere in sheer paranoia. Obi-Wan wondered for a moment what exactly happened to Maul to make him like this, besides the obvious. The Sith he had met before had had an ominous calm presence about him. Angry, but subdued. This man was insane; it unsettled the Jedi just watching him.

“K-Kenobi?”

A frightened gasp sounds from Obi-Wan’s mouth, noticing too late that Maul’s enraged eyes were now focused on him.

“ _What_ are you doing out of your cell?” he snarled, as if he hadn’t just been seen having a breakdown, and as if he wasn’t still cradling the head of his dead brother in his lap.

Obi-Wan looked away, his heart too broken to be able to handle the sight before him. The way Maul pretended as if he was standing strong when in reality he was breaking into pieces… it pained him to watch. But Maul’s eyes were cutting right through him, forcing him to maintain eye contact. Even still, Obi-Wan remained silent.

“Do not _pity_ me, Kenobi. I don’t--”

“I cannot pity the man who killed my master and my dearest friend,” the Jedi shot back, never able to resist the anger that Maul incited in him.

The Sith forced a smile, his lips tugging upwards in a twisted shape, his laugh rumbling in his chest before releasing as a raspy squeak. It was a smile devoid of any pleasure or amusement. No, it was but the face of a man who could barely hold himself together, his body and soul in shatters, held together by the only thing he understood, the thing that raised him, and the thing that fueled his power.

“Of course not. You may be a Jedi, but I can feel your _hatred_.”

Obi-Wan shook his head, dismissing the memories. He had fallen for Maul’s traps too many times. He’d tricked him once, back when they were still apprenticed, bringing Obi-Wan closer to the Dark SIde than he had ever been. When he killed Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan cut him in half out of a desire for revenge. Then, he showed up years later, killing innocents all because of his grudge against Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“I do not hate you, Maul,” he said, knowing full well that the Sith would not believe him.

“Just give in already,” Maul whispered.

Obi-Wan clenched his fist. Why did Maul have this effect on him? He was the _Negotiator_ , renowned for his calm and skillful words, and yet, just the sound of Maul’s voice made Obi-Wan’s usual cool demeanor and reason fail him, “I will not be tempted by you again, Maul. I am no longer the weak Padawan you first met on Coruscant. But, I’m sure you know that.”

“Wrong!” Maul bellowed, “You are weak! Just as you submitted to me before, I will make you submit to me again.”

“Don’t forget that I was the one who cut you in half.”

“Using your anger,” Maul chuckled.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to retort, but closed it before he did, knowing it would only goad him on. Rather, he glanced at Savage, “Shouldn’t you take care of your brother?”

At this comment, Maul bared his teeth, leaning over Savage’s head to block Obi-Wan’s view, “I will do what I must, but first I will take care of _you_.”

Sitting on the ground and crossing his arms, Obi-Wan glared at Maul, “Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but Mandalore is currently destroying itself.”

“A perfect place for your death, just as it was for your Dutchess.”

That comment digs into Obi-Wan’s wound, but he holds himself back, “I don’t think you could even stand up if you tried,” he hissed.

Naturally, Maul took this as a challenge, placing Savage’s head down gently and pushing himself to his feet. He stood straight, albeit shakily, and glowered at the Jedi. However, as soon as he stepped forward, his body jolted and sent him to his knees, panting heavily at the strain of it.

Obi-Wan grunted, having proven his point, “If you ask nicely, I may help you to your ship,” he said with pursed lips.

Reaching out his hand, Maul pulled Obi-Wan forward and squeezed. The air to his lungs abruptly stopped as he’s choked by Maul’s hand, his armor scraping against the ground, “If you ask nicely, _I_ may consider letting you live to see another day.”

The message is loud and clear. Obi-Wan grappled at his throat to no avail and nodded as best he could, not wanting to make the Sith repeat himself.

Maul let go of his throat, but not before shoving the Jedi to the ground, “As always, your arrogance precedes you.” 

Rubbing his neck, Obi-Wan lifted himself back up, “If that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll enjoy watching you stumble behind me,” he retorted, surprised by his own words. The Sith did not seem upset by this comment, Obi-Wan realized in fear. Every time he allowed his temper to control him, he gave Maul the upper hand.

When he finally stood up again, Obi-Wan reached for Savage, figuring that it would be easiest if he carried him, but Maul shielded him from view, “You will not touch him.”

Obi-Wan sighed, but backed off nonetheless. Unlike Maul, he had the decency to respect those in mourning, “Have it your way.”

Maul took a deep breath before standing himself up. He lifted Savage, holding the large man in the air with remarkable ease. Even so, his gait was unsteady and he wobbled with each step, not so much from the weight but from his own injuries. Yet, Savage’s body stayed securely suspended in the air. Once Obi-Wan was sure he wouldn't collapse again, he led them away to find Maul’s ship.

Just as he’d said, Obi-Wan caught glimpses of Maul’s stumbling behind him, though he didn’t need to look to hear the strained grunts and groans as he ignored the cries of his beaten body. He almost found himself offering help to the Sith, but catches himself, knowing that it would only invoke the wrath of the already unstable man.

The thought crossed Obi-Wan’s mind that he could easily run from Maul, abandon him and fly away from Mandalore and back to Coruscant. And honestly, he wasn’t sure what stopped him. Maybe he wanted to spite Maul, show him that he would not break no matter how much the Sith may fight him. Or maybe it was because he recalled the man’s broken voice as he’d found him, battered and bruised and so unnerved that he’d regressed to such a wild state. Not but so long ago, Obi-Wan had felt just as despaired.

“Would you stop _thinking_ so loudly?” Maul barked, “I know you’re conflicted but what could you _possibly_ have to be compassionate about?”

Compassion? Was that what Obi-Wan had been feeling? Had he truly felt sorry for that murderer? He dispelled the thoughts, not wanting to unintentionally reveal more than he already had.

Yet, somehow, his curiosity got the better of him.

“What happened to you before I got there?” Obi-Was asked casually, like he was simply making small talk rather than prying into the annoyingly complex mind of his enemy.

There was silence for a moment, Maul considering whether or not he should tell the Jedi what had happened. He opted for a somewhat backhanded response as he said, “My old master paid me a visit. You know, the one who had me kill _your_ old master.”

Obi-Wan flinched, the answer being exactly what he was afraid of. Still, he pressed on, “Who exactly would that be?”

Maul did not answer, as Obi-Wan had expected. It was worth a try, he supposed. Though, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of man was able to strike such fear into the Zabrak. _No,_ Obi-Wan reminded himself. Whoever it was, he was surely more monster than man. “Why are you so afraid of him?”

Again, Maul was silent. Obi-Wan even turned his head, just to make sure that he was still there. It was actually surprising that he did not react to that question. That in itself made Obi-Wan afraid. A person that could humble Maul to such an extent was someone he did not want to encounter. At least, not alone.

“I see. He must have really hurt--”

“Does it please you to mock me so, Jedi? You have no idea the things I have experienced, nor will you ever understand them,” Maul spit, his tone dripping with resentment.

Obi-Wan knew this was true. Just as he’d pointed out only hours ago, Maul was not the one who made the choice to join the Dark Side. He was raised in it, never knowing any other way of life, “Perhaps you could enlighten me.” He wasn’t sure why he was even interested in Maul’s backstory. It would never excuse the horrendous things he had done, nor would it bring back the lives he’d taken.

Maul was silent again. He made his statement before and he was not going to take it back. For now, he had said all he wanted to the Jedi, and he wasn’t eager to share more.

Unsatisfied, Obi-Wan yielded. He would get no further information from him like this. So, he kept quiet and continued on, moving slowly as they avoided the explosions of battle. When, at long last, they reached the landing port, Maul pointed him to his ship, one of the few that had not been destroyed in the warfare. They piled inside, Maul laying Savage down somewhere in the back before joining Obi-Wan in the cockpit. Only, Obi-Wan never saw him sit down, his vision blurring as he quickly lost consciousness.

\---

Obi-Wan groaned as he opened his eyes, his body aching from where he lay on the floor, clearly having been unceremoniously tossed there by Maul. He was still in the cockpit, likely for Maul’s own peace of mind. And yet, the Sith was nowhere to be seen. Pushing himself up, Obi-Wan looked out the window and felt his heart sink – he could never mistake the dreary red planet of Dathomir. For a moment, he wondered why Maul would want to come back here, then he remembered that it was only proper to mourn the death of his brother on their home planet.

“Awake, are we?”

Obi-Wan, embarrassingly, jumped at the sound of Maul’s voice. He whipped around to face him, but there was no twisted amusement in his eyes, only misery. “I wasn’t planning on double-crossing you, you know,” he huffed, rubbing at the pain in his neck.

Maul laughed, but didn’t smile, “I didn’t think you would, I just couldn’t bear to listen to that insufferable voice of yours.”

Ignoring the comment, Obi-Wan sat down in one of the two seats, keeping his eyes on Maul this time, “I suppose you won’t be dropping me off on Coruscant, then?”

“Very astute, Kenobi,” Maul sneered, “Since you were foolish enough to join me, I decided I’d go ahead and keep you.”

“Oh? Do you plan to use me the way you did on Coruscant when we were young? I would, but the only part of you I liked is decaying on a junk planet somewhere,” Obi-Wan teased, clawing for the upper hand in this exchange, even if it meant lowering himself to such insults. Though, it wasn’t completely a lie, as much as he hated to accept it. Maul had had a rather lovely… lower half.

Maul growled, his expression contorting into a grimace as he sits in the pilot’s chair beside Obi-Wan, “Perhaps you forget, Kenobi, but while you are unarmed, it would be very easy for me to take advantage of you in ways you couldn’t even _fathom._ And just as you got off to choking on a Sith Lord’s cock, I’m sure you would enjoy anything I gave you now.”

Obi-Wan flushed at those words, taken aback by the smoothness of which Maul delivered them. Clearly, he had not forgotten their time back on Coruscant and the confused Padawan that Obi-Wan had been. It was his most humiliating experience, having been found afterwards by his master. He did his best to conceal his shame, giving Maul a quick glare instead of a comeback. Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, feeling that for once, he would be better off keeping his mouth shut.

“Where are we going, then?” Obi-Wan asked.

Maul snorted at the abrupt change of subject, bathing in his small victory, “Back to Mandalore, of course. I didn’t overthrow a planet out of the kindness of my heart. I’m not a _Jedi_.”

“The Jedi do not… _overthrow_ ,” Obi-Wan argued, displeased by the insinuation.

“Tell that to the people of all the planets your Republic has occupied. You might find yourself… unpleasantly surprised.”

Obi-Wan frowned, “As if an abandoned Sith such as yourself would understand. The Republic is protecting those planets from the Separatists, it’s an unfortunate but necessary occupance.”

“Is that what your Council tells you?” Maul sighed, sounding exasperated.

As they lifted off of Dathomir, Obi-Wan decided to not continue the debate, figuring that a discussion with a criminal like Maul would be fruitless. Instead, he sat in silence, careful to guard his mind in case the other man might hear him again. For now, he should think of a way to escape his current situation.

\---

When they arrived back on Mandalore, Obi-Wan was relieved to see the fighting had stopped. Rubble and corpses still filled the streets, along with a few small fires that the people were struggling to put out. Maul had Obi-Wan’s arms held tightly behind him using the Force, pushing him along in front as they headed back to the palace.

One Mandalorian woman saw Maul coming, hurrying over to report to him and give him updates on the results of the battle. She even gave him her handcuffs, which Maul quickly placed on Obi-Wan. Though she looked curious, she did not question why the Jedi was with him.

As they walked, Obi-Wan found himself wondering what had happened to the rest of Death Watch. Whatever had befallen them, he hoped they made it out alive, “I suppose you’re going to let me rot in the prison again?”

“Mm, no,” Maul hummed amusedly, “As lovely as that sounds, I’m thinking there are better ways to break you.”

“Break me? You give yourself too much credit,” Obi-Wan taunted, masking his own fear of what the Sith had in mind.

  
“Oh, I’m going to have _fun_ with you, Kenobi,” Maul chuckled maliciously, a sound that made the Jedi’s blood run cold. Maul was scheming something new, and the idea frightened Obi-Wan more than he’d like to admit. He only hoped the Jedi Council would realize his absence and send help soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed, more drama will come after this chapter :)
> 
> Leave a kudos, let me know what you think, I really appreciate it 🖤


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!
> 
> There are mentions/implications of sexual abuse and rape in this chapter. It isn't explicit, but please be mindful and stay safe!

Maul didn’t waste his time, as Obi-Wan had quickly come to find out. Once he stepped back into Mandalore’s throne room it was back to business; Almec was already there for him like he’d never left. What was most insulting was that Maul didn’t even tend to his new prisoner first, he simply kept Obi-Wan at his side while he spoke with Almec, discussing the current state of the planet and what needed to be done. 

At long last, Almec spared a rather amused glance towards Obi-Wan, “I can have someone show you to your quarters now, unless you would like to choose a cell for the Jedi first?” 

“Oh, no, I think I’ll be taking him with me, as my  _ personal  _ prisoner,” Maul replied, less amused than Almec, but with a triumphant tone that irked Obi-Wan to no end.

“If you wanted me so bad you could’ve just asked, you know,” Obi-Wan jeered, head held high despite the handcuffs detaining him and guards ready to shoot if he tried anything.

Maul snarled, then huffed, “Perhaps we should get Kenobi a change of clothes.”

\---

Perhaps, Obi-Wan wondered, had he not taunted Maul so much, his situation might be more tolerable. He preferred to think that his sassiness had been a result of training someone as rebellious as Anakin. He had been much calmer with his words when apprenticed to Qui-Gon, and for good reason. It kept him out of trouble.

Now, draped in silky garments with a chain around his neck, Obi-Wan regretted having teased Maul at all. He wore a royal blue skirt that fell to his ankles, light and flowy and annoyingly comfortable. At first glance it had looked rather modest, but once he slipped it on Obi-Wan realized that there were long slits on either side, all the way to his upper thighs. While the skirt hung low on his hips, the same color top he wore only reached his waist. It was tight against his torso and had no sleeves, revealing the freckled skin of his shoulders. Not that the shirt itself hid anything, it was sheer and left nothing to the imagination. Small silver chains connected the top to the skirt — two on his sides, one at his back, and one at stomach. They were the only thing keeping the skirt on his sharp hips.

And there he sat on the floor beside Maul, all dressed up, a thick metal collar around his neck with a chain attached to the throne. Obi-Wan saw the strange looks he got from every person that entered the room, and he knew why he got them. Though his official title was as Maul’s hostage, he was well aware that he was dressed more like an enslaved Twi’lek woman. He hoped desperately that Maul did this for the sake of humiliation and nothing else.

Mostly, Obi-Wan was ignored throughout the day, but when one of Maul’s followers suddenly burst through the door, dragging in another Mandalorian behind him, Maul thought he should have some fun.

“I found this Mandalorian traitor sneaking about, no doubt spying for Death Watch,” the man accused.

Maul rose from his seat, abandoning the meeting he’d been having with leaders of the Pyke Syndicate, to deal with the situation. Under normal circumstances he would’ve been enraged at the interruption, but shooting a knowing glance towards Obi-Wan, he approached the men.

As Maul got closer, the man from Death Watch struggled in his bonds, “I swear I wasn’t spying!” he yelled, “I was just visiting my brother!” he pleaded.

“In full Death Watch armor?” Maul tutted, hands behind his back as he circled the man.

“I swear,” the man hissed through gritted teeth. Obi-Wan didn’t need help from the Force to see that this man was at least being truthful.

With a dark grin, Maul turned to look at his prisoner, “What do you make of that, Kenobi?”

Obi-Wan swallowed, anger brewing inside of him, “H-He’s telling the truth,” was all he could think to say.

Maul nodded politely, as if seriously considering Obi-Wan’s words, but as soon as he turned back around, he pulled the Darksaber from his hip and decapitated the man in one swift movement. Obi-Wan’s chains rattled as he lurched forward instinctively, only to be yanked back.

The Mandalorian dragged the body away as Maul had directed, then the Zabrak approached his throne, calm as ever. He turned to the hologram and continued his meeting as if nothing had happened. Obi-Wan trembled in rage beside him, never having felt so powerless as Maul reached over to rake his hand through the Jedi’s hair, scraping painfullly against his scalp.

\---

At some point, Maul had gotten into the habit of playing with Obi-Wan’s hair no matter what he was doing. He would pet it, pull at it, twirl it through his fingers — and Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if it was done to torture him or if the Sith was doing it unconsciously. Either way, he hated that he was getting used to the feel of those monstrous hands in his hair.

“The Republic,” Almec began, eyeing Obi-Wan carefully, “is unable to send anyone to retrieve Kenobi because of Mandalore’s neutrality. Once they discovered that the Council sent Obi-Wan on his own, it has proved all the more difficult for them to send anyone else.”

“I’m sure our little Jedi is okay with that,” Maul smirked, cradling the back of Obi-Wan’s head, “He wouldn’t want his precious Order to see him like this.”

Even Almec looked somewhat disturbed by the sight, “Even so, I’ve doubled the security to ensure that no one gets into Mandalore without a thorough check.”

Maul nodded almost boredly, “Very good,” he said, then dismissed Almec with a wave of his hand. With a quick nod, the Prime Minister left the throne room without another word.

Once the grand doors slammed closed, Maul let out an exasperated sigh, “What a tiresome man, putting on such a ridiculous show of trust. As if his betrayal would ever come as a surprise,” he said.

Obi-Wan stood up as he was unchained from the throne, the chain now firmly held in Maul’s grip, “Almec is crafty, but I don’t think he would betray you. Such an endeavor would be foolish.”

“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Maul mocked, yanking the chain abruptly as he led them away, “What reason would he have to not betray me?”

“You’ve taken back his planet and reinstated him as Prime Minister. I think you should trust him.” It was his honest opinion, too. Obi-Wan knew that lying to Maul would be pointless, especially with a Force inhibiting collar around his neck. Damned Mandalorians and their anti-Jedi equipment, he had hoped Satine had destroyed the last of it.

Maul rolled his eyes, “If I’m not mistaken, that same trust is what got you into this situation, Kenobi. Do not advise me on subjects of which you have no experience.”

“You’re the one who asked,” Obi-Wan murmured, which earned him another harsh yank, causing him to stumble forward, just barely catching himself. Maul’s moods were incredibly changeable, as Obi-Wan had come to realize. Then again, he only really had two moods — anger and emptiness. The Jedi had come to this conclusion during the late hours of the night as he watched Maul lay on his bed, eyes closed but wide awake. The man had been raised on anger and hatred, so if he was not angry, then he was nothing at all.

The apartment that Maul was given was palatial, the bed in his room enough to fit four adult humans and still have room for them to move about. Big as it was, Obi-Wan still slept on a small mattress on the floor to its side. His chain stayed detached in their room, so, had he so desired, he could’ve easily slept up there. But even his cheap mattress was preferable to that.

Their usual routine followed as soon as they were in the bedroom: Maul unchained him and left him alone. There was no way to escape the room, Obi-Wan had tried. The door to the bedroom stayed locked and had a number of alarms and traps set if it were to open without Maul’s touch. Obi-Wan had gotten a nasty shock the first time he tried, and the second time it gave him a crooked scar on his stomach. He gave up on that method, seeing as it only pleased Maul. There were no tools to get rid of the collar on his neck, either. The only escape was the one window, but they were so far up that, without use of the Force, Obi-Wan would never survive it.

Having changed into his pajamas — which were no less embarrassing, seeing as it was just one very large tunic — Obi-Wan settled onto his bed when Maul spoke to him, “You’re a rather useless slave, aren’t you?”

“I thought I was your hostage.”

Maul chuckled, “It’s come to my attention that others don’t see you that way. Many of them seemed rather interested in playing with you. I told them they could, seeing as there’s no other real uses for your company.”

Obi-Wan inhaled sharply and choked, jumping out of his bed to glare at Maul, who was sitting calmly in the middle of his own bed, prosthetic legs crossed in front of him, “You  _ wouldn’t _ .”

“Wouldn’t I?”

With gritted teeth, Obi-Wan crawled onto the bed, only a couple of feet from Maul, “You can’t. Anything but that.”

Maul glared at him, warning him from coming any closer, “You seemed eager to mess around with random men back when you were a Padawan. Or did I scare you off?”

“Something like that,” Obi-Wan mumbled, then frowned, “I have not allowed another person to touch me since then, and I won’t falter on that. You may be evil, Maul, but surely you wouldn’t intentionally have me break my code. You have more honor than that.”

“You’re a virgin?” Maul asked. Obi-Wan nodded slowly, detecting a faint feeling of pity.

But as soon as he allowed himself a bit of hope, Maul erupted into laughter, “As if I would honor the code of someone as wretched as you. You’ll take what they give you and  _ beg _ for more.”

“Please!” Obi-Wan shouted before he could continue, “I know you wouldn’t stoop that low. Not even you, Maul.”

This seemed to upset the Zabrak, the man roaring as he suspended Obi-Wan in the air. The Jedi could feel the pressure crawl dangerously close to his throat, threatening to strangle him, “You will not speak to me of  _ low _ ! Unlike my master, I’m gracious enough to give you a warning!” With that, Obi-Wan was thrown into the wall.

Squeezing his eyes shut from the sudden pain, Obi-Wan distantly heard the slamming of a door through his harsh coughs. When he opened his eyes again, Maul was gone, leaving Obi-Wan to his bruising pain and unwanted sympathy. With a grimace, he limped back to his bed.  _ Sympathy? _ He thought,  _ As if I could sympathize with that monster _ . 

And yet, just behind Obi-Wan’s fear of tomorrow, was the ringing thought that, unbeknownst to anyone, Maul had been through much, much worse.

\---

From the second he woke up the following morning, Obi-Wan couldn’t breathe. Maul wouldn’t speak to him, not even to taunt. He merely dragged the Jedi behind him, not slowing down as the man stumbled and tripped over his own skirt.

Obi-Wan still wasn’t entirely sure what had set Maul off last night, but having mulled it over rather than sleeping, he had gotten an idea of what it was.  _ Unlike my master _ . The words were replayed in Obi-Wan’s mind until he realized it. At some point in his apprenticeship, Maul had undergone the same abuse that now faced his Jedi prisoner.

_ Force, help me _ , Obi-Wan thought as he was chained up and left in dreadful anticipation.

It was nighttime by the time three men staggered into the throne room, still dressed in armor as they hiccupped and guffawed. Obi-Wan looked at Maul to plead to him, but the Sith’s gaze was unmoving, tracing every step the men took. If he hadn’t known better, Obi-Wan could’ve sworn he was shaking.

“So this is the pretty Jedi you were talking ‘bout,” one of the men slurred, crouching in front of Obi-Wan with a grin, showing off his yellow-stained teeth. He grabbed the Jedi’s chin in a tight grip and laughed. Obi-Wan jerked his head away, cringing as the foul breath reached his nose.

Another man, the shortest of the three, crossed his arms and cocked his head, “So you’re fine if we fuck him, Maul? Can’t promise it won’t get messy,” he chortled, eyes grazing every inch of the Jedi bound before him. 

Maul nodded stiffly, and Obi-Wan finally realized that he  _ was  _ shaking. The Zabrak’s fingers held so tightly to his seat that they were trembling. He refused to even look at the men, much less at Obi-Wan.

In his distractedness, the third man’s finger unexpectedly ghosted up Obi-Wan’s back, causing him to jump and arch at the sensation. The man’s shoulders shook with laughter at the reaction, then he moved back down to dip his fingers in the Jedi’s skirt. As if that was their signal, the other two men suddenly had their hands all over him, caressing and groping as he tried to push them away. Obi-Wan’s struggle only egged them on, his fists doing nothing against their armor.

“Maul, please!” Obi-Wan shouted, just as the hands started to pull up his skirt, “Don’t let them do this, I know you understand. This won’t change anything!” He tried to keep his voice steady, but it proved difficult as he still desperately tried to keep the hands off him.

Just as Obi-Wan opened his mouth to try again, Maul roared and stood from his seat, “Enough!” he bellowed. The men must’ve thought he was talking to Obi-Wan, because they didn’t desist. Instead, Maul let out another growl as his lightsaber swung from his side, slicing right through one of the men’s arms. 

Stunned sober by their friend’s cries of pain, the other two men cursed and grabbed him, dashing away from the throne. In a frenzy, Maul hurled his lightsaber at them, just narrowly missing as they bolted out the door, the weapon clattering to the floor.

Obi-Wan was only shocked out of his daze by Maul’s enraged howls, “Fuck!” he screamed, panting heavily as he pulled his lightsaber back to him from across the room. The Jedi shuddered beside him. Obi-Wan knew he should be afraid — as any sane person should be — but he slowly realized that Maul was not mad at all.

_ Maul _ was the one who was afraid.

\---

Back in the privacy of his room, Maul crumpled to the floor before he could even unchain his prisoner. He clawed at the carpeted floor and writhed on his hands and knees, muttering frightfully to himself. 

Obi-Wan was less cautious than the first time he’d found Maul like this, “What was that about?” he inquired, sitting next to him on his knees, less than an arm’s length from the Sith.

“The  _ hands _ ,” Maul wailed, continuing his whispers, still too hushed for Obi-Wan to hear.

So, he scooted closer. It was closer than he’d ever been to Maul outside of trying to kill each other, “What hands?” Obi-Wan asked softly, startled by the tenderness of his own voice. Still, he leaned impossibly closer to the Zabrak until he could make out his words.

“—they didn’t stop. I begged and cried and pleaded with him but the hands never stopped. He watched as they hurt me, as they defiled me, a  _ child! _ I was so young, so scared, so weak, and they just laughed. Master said it was a lesson, that it would make me stronger, so I killed the man. I cut him up but he wasn’t the only one, no, there were more, so many more—”

Obi-Wan swallowed thickly, slowing leaning back. Maul continued rambling into the ground, his hands now clawing at his face. Obi-Wan had heard enough. With a steady hand, he gently grabbed Maul by the shoulder. The man stopped abruptly, the touch disrupting his thoughts. Only seconds passed before Maul shoved the hand off of him. Obi-Wan stared at the ground, preparing himself for pain, but instead got nothing. The Sith stood wordlessly and laid on his bed, not sparing the Jedi a glance. Obi-Wan let out a breath of relief, not mentioning the chain still dangling from his collar.

Obi-Wan was floored by the question that intruded into his mind. Was Maul truly evil, or was he just broken? The man has lived a life devoid of love — Obi-Wan could not begin to comprehend the ways in which that had shaped him. His stomach was in knots, suddenly feeling selfish at seeing how blind he was to the abuse Maul had lived through.

  
And as he succumbed to his exhaustion, Obi-Wan was met with the question:  _ What if that had happened to him? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! It's not much, but I'm hoping to get into more Obimaul next chapter :)
> 
> Thank you for readingg :))


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan begins to grow accustomed to his new life with Maul

Obi-Wan was wrong about Maul only having two moods. There was one more.

Fear.

It wasn’t difficult to notice the way Maul curled up on the edge of his bed, on the side furthest from Obi-Wan; the Jedi could hear him thrashing about for hours. Whatever nightmares were plaguing the man were keeping them both from a much needed rest.

When Obi-Wan awoke from his few moments of slumber, he was immediately met with the eerie eyes of the Sith. Still groggy from sleep, he was transported back to the day he met Maul on Coruscant, the way he had drowned in those eyes, not even registering the evil behind them. Obi-Wan recalled that day more often than he’d like to admit. He really  _ had  _ fallen for Maul in that short amount of time. It was a blight in his memories and something that only he and Qui-Gon had been aware of. What would Anakin think of him? Would he be removed from the Council if they knew how he’d been tempted? He shook the thoughts away when he saw something flicker in Maul’s eyes.

“That day,” Maul breathed out, and Obi-Wan missed being able to shield his thoughts using the Force, “Was the first time I had ever felt  _ in control _ . Do you know what that feels like, Kenobi? To be a slave to your own power? Everything I did, every person I  _ killed _ were choices made for me.”

“Do you regret it?” Obi-Wan asked softly, not having moved since he first opened his eyes.

Maul stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowing, “It made me stronger.”

“And what kind of strength is that?”

“A strength that you, a  _ Jedi _ , could not comprehend.”

Obi-Wan frowned, finally sitting up, “The Dark Side may grant you a momentary power, but it will only end up destroying you, Maul. You were the one who showed me that.”

Lip curled in distaste, Maul whipped his gaze away from the redhead, “Yet, my hatred was what kept me alive when  _ you _ tried to kill me,” he hissed, getting off his bed and whisking past him, his usual threatening gait unsteady.

“And it was that same lust for revenge that broke you in the first place,” Obi-Wan whispered. He’d seen enough of Maul’s breakdowns to understand that much.

Maul ignored him, but the jerk of the man’s head told Obi-Wan that he’d been heard.

\---

Obi-Wan felt immensely uncomfortable with the knowledge that Maul was watching him while he slept. It had been days since he’d done it the first time, and he was positive that it was still happening. The last thing he needed was for the man to look into his unconscious mind. There was no telling  _ what  _ Maul might find in there. Especially now.

Being chained up, humiliated, and forced into an appalling routine of having to watch Maul sentence countless people to death each day had taken its toll on Obi-Wan. He found himself thinking up ridiculous plans of escape, imagining Maul making a mistake or finding his lightsaber, or even imagining a friend coming to Mandalore by chance and finding him. They were silly thoughts, ones which Maul noticed, smirking at the power it gave him.

But sometimes, just sometimes, Obi-Wan would imagine talking to Maul. They would talk about normal things, like interests and pet peeves and debate about their personal philosophies and values. Maul was an intelligent man — he had to be considering his experiences — and Obi-Wan was sure he had the potential to be a wonderful conversation partner. No, he corrected himself, a wonderful conversationalist. To think of Maul as a partner of any kind was abhorrent.

And that was all the thought he gave on that matter.

Even so, in the back of his mind, Obi-Wan wondered if they could have been friends, perhaps more, had their circumstances been different. The way Maul conducted himself may be somewhat wild, but so far, he’d been disturbingly easy to talk to. He has the gnawing thought that, if he were born into the Dark Side and sentenced to a life of pain, would he have ended up the same? The thought alone was alarming; Obi-Wan was comparing himself to Maul in a way that he shouldn’t. He didn’t want to find himself similar to the man in any form.

Still, only a few rotations spent on Mandalore and Obi-Wan was being surprised by Maul over and over again. Initially, he thought the Zabrak was an enigma, someone who was too caught up in his own hateful desires to ever really make sense. Yet, it was starting to occur to Obi-Wan that Maul was not simply a creature of darkness, bred by evil. Maul was hurt. Maul was upset. Maul was lost. Maul was sad.

He was so, so sad. Before, Obi-Wan had only ever looked into the man’s eyes and seen rage, but now it was evident that there was more to this mania. Maul had been hurt so much in his life, leaving behind a mangled, confused soul. 

“You look horrible.”

Obi-Wan sighed, that having been the first thing Maul has said to him all day. Now, in the security of their bedroom, the Sith would speak freely, “Well, I haven’t exactly gotten much time to do anything other than clean myself.”

Maul eyed him cautiously, almost uncomfortably, “I’ll have someone cut your hair for you tomorrow. I’m tired of looking at that mess of face, it’s giving me headaches.”

Obi-Wan could’ve laughed, “I hate to agree with you, this beard is rather unbefitting of a Jedi, don’t you think?” he sneered at Maul, who glared back at him, “No, I can do it myself. There’s no need to get anyone to do it for me.” 

With the chain removed from his neck, Obi-Wan headed to their bathroom with Maul close behind him. He searched the cabinets for scissors, not wanting to ask the other if they even had any. Fortunately, they did, which struck Obi-Wan as odd because Zabraks didn’t have hair, so there wasn’t any need to have them. He didn’t question him.

Behind him, Maul was watching his every move, eyes glued to the scissors in Obi-Wan’s hand — they were the closest thing to a weapon that he’s held since… well, since he first came to Mandalore. He didn’t dwell on the thought. But, that did help him recall searching the bathroom on his first night here, and there definitely hadn’t been any scissors. Again, he didn’t dwell on it.

Admittedly, Obi-Wan thought as he looked at his unruly reflection in the mirror, he was not used to cutting his hair or trimming his beard with only scissors, so this might not be such a good idea. But Maul was already watching him, looking at him through his reflection with a scrutinizing gaze. Finally, Obi-Wan started to cut. He moved slowly, steadily, yet Maul didn’t move a muscle; he merely watched for however long it took them to realize that Obi-Wan, in fact, could not do this.

“You look worse.”

“I know!” Obi-Wan spit as he dropped the scissors in the sink. His hair was horribly uneven and there were small patches of his beard cut way too short.

Suddenly, Maul moved beside Obi-Wan grabbing his chin and tilting his head one way, then the other, “We’ll cut it all off,” he smirked at Obi-Wan, letting go of his chin, “Just like when you were a Padawan.” Then he walked off.

Obi-Wan shuddered. Despite the smirk and teasing words, Maul’s eyes had been blank, clouded and unreadable. He was always easy to read. Obi-Wan didn’t like that.

\---

The glances were hard to miss. Even beneath their helmets, the Mandalorians who entered the throne room were obviously glancing at Obi-Wan much more often than they usually did. He felt violated, uncomfortable because he knew what he must look like. Anakin had always teased him for having a baby face, and now here he was, clean shaven and hair cut short, though not as short as his Padawan days.

It wasn’t only that — Maul had arranged a new outfit for him as well. This one was red, the same shade as the armor of the Mandalorians loyal to Maul. His top was merely a short cloak, still revealing his now embarrassingly soft stomach. Obi-Wan’s only new comfort was that he was now wearing pants, though they were loosely fitted with large holes on the outside of each leg, falling just below his knee. That wasn’t all, unfortunately. Maul had decided to decorate Obi-Wan even more, large black braces on each wrist and ankle, shimmering and clinking with each small movement. He even had piercings on the Jedi’s ears — an industrial piercing on one and a helix chain on the other.

He was no longer the enslaved Jedi of a Sith Lord, but the pretty new toy of a fearsome crime lord. Obi-Wan shivered as Maul’s eyes turned towards him, burning his pale skin as he addressed the men before him.

“I want you to kill the whole crew. Where there is one failure there is bound to be more, and I will not lose more credits because some amateur smugglers were too cowardly to fight.”

“Y-Yes, Lord Maul,” Gar Saxon replied, baffled by the Zabrak’s inattentive attitude. 

Once he had departed, Maul reached out and grabbed Obi-Wan’s hair, yanking him closer until the Jedi was on his knees in front of him, “This brings back fond memories, doesn’t it?”

Obi-Wan didn’t like this mood Maul was in, “Killing others brings you pleasure, doesn’t it?”

Maul mulled over the thought, grip still tight in Obi-Wan’s hair, “No, not as you think. As an apprentice, my bloodlust could not be soothed. I begged my master to send me on more missions, and I bathed in the glory of every foe I gutted, just as I did your master,” Obi-Wan ground his teeth together, a fierce glare directed at the Sith, who chuckled, “Now, I gain no pleasure in killing spineless pawns. Those with power will always destroy the weak.”

“And what sort of power is that?” Obi-Wan seethed, “What is the purpose of having great power if it’s only used for the benefit of oneself?”

“You Jedi hold yourself to this moral high ground and fail to see what is right in front of you. What purpose is your power if you forsake yourself and your fellow Jedi? The more you lie to yourself about what it is your doing, Kenobi, the harder it will be to accept your fall.” Maul released his hair, sitting back in his throne and lifting one leg up beside him as he leaned on the arm rest, “Not allowed to love, not allowed to hate, the Jedi Order may as well be a bunch of droids.”

Obi-Wan didn’t move though, his glare softening, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to  _ suffering.” _

Maul scoffed, “You recite your foolish rhetoric, but you do not understand what I—”

“Have endured?” Obi-Wan finished, his voice kind, much to Maul’s disgust, “No, I do not, and I can only hope that I never will. You were not born a monster, Maul, but I am sorry that you have become one.”

With a roar, Maul jumped from his seat, ignited lightsaber in hand and held to Obi-Wan’s neck, “Enough with your pity, or I will show you just how  _ monstrous _ I can be. You forget that I am the one in control here, and it is by my decision that I am keeping you in one piece. I’m sure I would have much more fun watching you beg for mercy while I cut off each of your limbs. Perhaps I could call for your beloved Padawan, have him find you like that, dressed in the garbs of a royal slave while you cling to life. Would you like that, Obi-Wan _?” _

No, he wouldn’t, and he could only imagine what Anakin might do. He didn’t respond, so Maul put away his lightsaber and kicked him onto his back, then sat back down with confidence short lived.

\---

While Obi-Wan had frequently found himself doubting the Republic and the decisions of the Jedi in Maul’s company, it only took a slip in the Zabrak’s mask to assure him that he was not on the wrong side. Being forced to the side of a defeated Sith has taught him more than he could have ever thought.

Now, as Obi-Wan watched Maul gasp on the ground, curled in the corner of their room with knees pulled to his chest, he realizes just how destructive the dark side is. Maul gasped in pain of thoughts unseen, fingers clawing into his scalp as if somehow that would scratch the memories out. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what had caused it, from his perspective their day had gone like any other. Perhaps there was no trigger at all — this was just an ongoing battle, one which Maul could not always win.

With a look of shame, Obi-Wan crouched in front of him, “Maul, are you alright?” he asked, because calming him down would make it easier to sleep. That was all.

Maul grunted, his head shaking back and forth and his legs pulling somehow closer to his chest. He looked small, like this. Like an abused child, trying desperately to escape the past that haunted him. Obi-Wan knew because he had seen it before, in Anakin. But this wasn’t quite the same as that. Maul was different. Maul was driven mad by darkness, forced into a cage where revenge and violence were his only freedoms. The look in his eye was not the same as it was when they were young. Now he was merely the cracked shell of his former self, freed from the clutches of his evil master but chained down by the darkness that birthed him.

It ached. As if Obi-Wan could feel his pain through the Force, it ached him to the bone. But his connection to the Force was temporarily severed, so how could this possibly be so? He knew he was not a perfect Jedi, he knew what it felt like to love someone more than he should. Even so, this couldn’t  _ possibly _ —

As Maul’s body shook with more tearless sobs, Obi-Wan was torn from his thoughts and brought back to the reality of what was in front of him. Gathering up his courage, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Maul’s shivering figure. He wished he could say that the fondness he felt in that moment was the same as he felt when he’d comforted his Padawan, but it would be a damnable lie.

Eventually, Maul’s body stilled, but he did not move. Neither did Obi-Wan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't love this chapter but. here it is. just trying to bridge the gap so i can make it a little more fluffy if ya know what i mean ;)


End file.
